


More Than One Way To Say I love You

by leighwrites



Series: The Omegaverse [3]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti), IT - Stephen King
Genre: Alpha Eddie Kaspbrak, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omega Richie Tozier, Omega Verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-06
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25114063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leighwrites/pseuds/leighwrites
Summary: “What the hell is he doing in there?” Stan asks when he visits one day to the sound of Richie banging around in his closet with his bedroom door shut and the sight of Eddie unable to find a shirt he knows he’s worn recently and should be in the freshly washed pile of laundry.“He’s giving me a damn headache with all the banging is what he’s doing,” Eddie growls, frantically searching the basket of washing in front of him. “Damn it, where the fuck is that shirt? I need that for Mike’s birthday thing.”Stan can smell Eddie’s frustration clearly, and part of him wonders how Richie hasn’t picked up on it. “Are you missing any other things?”
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: The Omegaverse [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1530698
Comments: 14
Kudos: 165





	More Than One Way To Say I love You

“Okay, Emma, quiz me!” Richie closes his Omega help book, the ones given out when they first joined the support group and sets it down on the kitchen table in front of him with his hands spread across the cover. “I wanna see what I can remember.”

Emma flicks through her own book, stopping at one of the pages. “Okay, the crash  _ smack in the middle of two heats  _ is called?”

“That’s a pregnancy crash. Harder.” Adam, who has been dozing on his own book, lets out a faint giggle. Adam has become the third member of their little group. He’s prone to random breakdowns and, as a result, has a hard time trying to find an Alpha since most Alphas don’t want to deal with that level of emotional baggage, so they’ve taken him in, determined to help him find someone like their own Alphas. “Okay, I know that I wanted more friends on my level, but this is ridiculous. Go back to sleep.”

Emma rolls her eyes fondly at them. “Okay, here’s another. What do you do when an Alpha is in a rut?”

“You submit like a little bitch.” Adam mumbles against the page he’s using as a pillow.

Richie groans, tilting his head back. “ _ Oh my god shut up. _ Okay, uh… you have to take care of them the way that they take care of you. They’re usually good at remembering to eat, but sometimes they forget, so you need to make sure they do, and that they drink a lot of fluids and -  _ Adam stop laughing or I swear to fuck I’m throwing this book at you _ !”

“I’m not sorry. You set that up perfectly.”

Emma giggles, hiding the action behind her book as though it would help. “Next question. When are the two times that an Omega smells best to their Alpha?”

“During a heat or a pregnancy.”

“When is an Alpha their  _ most  _ protective of an Omega?”

“When the pregnant Omega is carrying their child or during ruts and heats.”

Emma grins. “Very good, and  _ how _ do you know when your Alpha is in a rut?”

Richie thinks about the first rut Eddie’s hit since they started dating. “They smell stronger… more… enticing.” 

Emma turns a page backwards in the book. “Okay, so what smell does a pregnant Omega radiate?”

Richie chews at his lip, and his eyes dart to the hallway at the sound of the front door opening to see Eddie and Beverly step into the apartment clad in workout clothes and looking sweaty. “Um, wait, shit, I know this one. It’s not really a  _ smell  _ at first so much as a relaxing and soothing feeling that washes over the Alpha and can calm them. After that... it’s mostly the smell of the Alpha, and it works as a repellent to keep other Alphas away because you can barely smell the Omega’s scent anymore.”

“Wow, you really weren’t kidding when you said that you have a good memory. What does an Alpha do during the pregnancy?”

“They rarely leave the Omega’s side after six months to ensure their safety. With male Omegas they try not to leave them for longer than a workday because of the complications and problems they can have since the body is designed differently.”

Adam’s head snaps up from his book. “That’s not in the book.” He looks back down and flips pages in an almost manic fashion as he speed reads them. “I’m on the pregnancy chapter right now. It’s not here.”

Richie shrugs, leaning back in his chair. “I looked it up. Stuff solely for male Omegas isn’t really in the book since we’re rare.”

Emma looks back down at the book. “I mean, that’s fair. You need to know everything you can. Last one. What does the  _ Omega  _ do during the pregnancy?”

“They uh…  _ shit _ . Hold on… they nest, right? Like a lot? Some Omegas have a nest in almost every room so they can crawl to the nearest one when they need it?”

“I’m impressed at how much of this you remember,” Adam says, glancing to the door as Eddie enters the kitchen, pausing to give Richie a quick peck on the head. Adam is always wary around Alphas after the last and only one he’d been with, and it shows whenever Eddie enters a room and Adam immediately tenses. Emma reaches across the space between them and grabs his hand, soothing him to continue and grounding him to reality. “Like, I remembered maybe two or three of those things, and it sounds like you remembered the whole damn book and  _ then  _ some!”

“Richie’s always been like that when it comes to remembering books.” Beverly’s voice cuts into the conversation as she leans against the doorway, hair tied into a messy bun. “He saved my ass  _ so  _ many times in high school. Not that Stan ever approved of it.”

“Stan just didn’t approve of you and Richie being left alone to your own devices after you blew up a microwave doing a science paper at sixteen.” Eddie points out, handing her a bottle of water.

Richie tilts his head back with a grin. “Hey come on, it was for  _ science  _ Eds! We wanted to know what happened to different things you put in a microwave. It just happened to turn out that a fork can do a hell of a lot of damage.”

“Richie, I don’t know how to tell you this, but if you blow up our shitty microwave, then we’re gonna have some problems.”

“Like I’m gonna just - okay that’s fair - thanks for the heads up. I’ll try not to blow it up.”

Eddie grins, leaning down and kissing him quickly. “We’re gonna leave you guys to whatever you’re doing. Stay out of the bathroom for twenty minutes. Bev wants to take a quick shower since hers is broken.”

“You got it.”

The moment Eddie closes the kitchen door behind them, Adam leans across the table towards Richie. “I’ve always wondered something. Does uh… your Alpha know that he’s not… you know -”

Richie cuts him off with a snort, leaning across the table towards him. “You mean does Eds know he’s not the way an Alpha usually is? He knows. I’m lucky. I require a different kind of care to the usual Omega.”

“It’s so weird. Like I’ve seen him a few times but...” Emma looks at the door, chewing on the end of her pen. “You weren’t kidding when you said he was like Jason.”

“I keep trying to tell you, Ems. He’s just like Jason but smaller and gayer.”

“Gee Richie, is that the scientific term?”

“You betcha. What about you, Ad? Have you had any luck, on the whole, finding an Alpha thing yet?”

Adam sighs, dropping his head to the table with a thud. “Nope.”

“Good, because Eddie knows a nice Alpha in his class who wants to find an Omega but has a lot of trouble actually talking to other people so they can never meet anyone new, whereas  _ you  _ like myself have never learned the art of shutting the fuck up and can hold conversations for hours. He told them about you, and they seemed  _ really  _ interested. If you’re interested, he said he can set something up. He didn’t tell them too much about your personal problems. He just said that you were kind of like me.”

“Wait, there’s actually an Alpha out there who knows I’m different and is  _ still  _ interested in me?”

“Why wouldn’t there be?” Emma asks, ruffling at Adam’s hair with a smile. “Richie and I found Alphas. You’re here more than I am. You’ve seen how Eddie is with him.”

“Yeah but - I didn’t think  _ I’d _ be able to find an Alpha like that just because you guys did.”

Richie grins. “So should I tell Eddie that’s a yes?”

Adam chews at his lip nervously. “Y-yeah. I’ll... meet them. Thanks, Richie.”

Emma’s phone buzzes on the table, and she swipes it up quickly to check on the text. “That’s Jason. You want a ride home Ad?”

The second after Richie closes the apartment door behind Emma and Adam, he makes his way back to the living room to see Beverly surfing through Netflix dressed in jeans and a tank top, sitting in the armchair with her legs draped lazily over the arm. There’s no sign of Eddie anywhere in the room, but the sound of running water from the bathroom alerts him where Eddie is, so Richie settles for dropping onto his back on the sofa.

“I really like your friends, Rich,” Beverly says, shooting him a grin as she turns her attention to him. “They seem good for you. Eddie said you’ve been doing better since you started those meetings.”

Richie tucks a hand under his head, his brow furrowing. “You two talk about that kind of stuff?”

“We do. He talks about how you’re doing. He talks about how you made friends. What they’re like. He uh… worries too… like a lot. Mostly he worries that he’s not doing a good enough job as an Alpha because sometimes he doesn’t know how to help you connect better with the part of you that you’ve been shutting out for years.”

Richie sighs, closing his eyes with a yawn. “He needs to stop worrying about that. He does a great job, Bev. I’m really lucky to have him.”

Beverly smiles softly. “I know. You’re happy… but I also know you hate what you are.”

“I... hate I’m an emotional mess a lot of the time because I can’t connect to my Omega brain since I shoved it down for so long and refused to give in to the things my instincts wanted but not what I am.” 

“He’s never been mad at you for hiding it, you know.” Beverly climbs to her feet and joins him on the sofa, taking a seat next to him, perched on the edge. She doesn’t miss the sharp inhale Richie takes as her scent hits him and registers in his brain. “He understands. We all do. We were always talking about how shitty being an Omega would be. The Heats. The Stigma. We made you feel shitty about what you were to the point you had to hide it, and we know we did. None of us can ever undo that, and we’ll never forgive ourselves for it. We don’t know how we’ll ever make up for that.”

“I never held it against any of you,” Richie admits, relaxing on the sofa. “Yeah, it hurt, but I never hated what I was because of it. I’m… glad  _ this _ is what I presented as. If I hadn’t… I probably couldn’t be with him, and I’d hate that… so much fucking more than being this.”

Beverly’s attention suddenly snaps to the door, landing on Eddie who is looking at Richie with an expression that she’s never seen before. It’s soft, and loving rolled into one. She stands slowly and grabs her gym bag from the armchair. “I’m gonna head out. This seems like a  _ you guys  _ moment.” She knows that neither of them is listening to her. Eddie is too busy staring at Richie who is currently teetering on the edge of sleep, so she takes her leave from the apartment quietly, squeezing by Eddie and toeing her shoes on before slipping out the door. 

Eddie approaches the sofa, leaning over and brushing Richie’s hair back from his face. “I always thought that you hated  _ everything  _ about being an Omega.”

Richie opens his eyes, staring up at Eddie. “I know that I complain about it, but I don’t hate it. I don’t even really hate the nesting thing now that I've tried it. I make one, and it makes me feel so safe, you know? That’s... it’s  _ our _ space. It’s a private little place. And if I want to be alone, I can just make one and crawl in there. I could live without the whole feeling like I’m on fire thing for five days every few months, but it’s not so bad when you look at the bigger picture. I get you.”

Eddie smiles, thumbs tracing slowly across Richie’s forehead. “You’ve never said any of this before.”

Richie huffs a laugh. “You know me. I’m bad at this stuff. If I hadn’t had that Heat here and broken down, I probably would have never told you how I felt. But… you need to know that I’m happy, Eds. I know I struggle to adjust to anything new now I’m not pushing down my Omega brain, and you’ve been there for me every step. You’re always trying to help. Bev said you worry about how you’re doing as an Alpha and you shouldn’t. You do a great job.”

Eddie strokes his thumb gently down to Richie’s temple. “I’m always gonna take care of you however I can Richie.”

Richie raises a hand, curling it around Eddie’s wrist and rubbing his thumb against the area in a slow circular motion. “I know, and I’m never gonna be able to find the words to tell you just how grateful I am for that.”

“Knowing that you’re happy and you feel okay is enough for me.”

Richie’s expression is suddenly soft, his fingers trailing their way up Eddie’s arm. “I’m always happy because of you. I love you Eds… and you need to stop feeling guilty about me hiding what I was.”

They both end up on the sofa with Eddie on top of Richie and driving slowly into him, peppering kisses along the sweaty flesh of his neck and throat, drawing the familiar moans and whimpers from him that Eddie loves to hear. Having sex outside of a heat or rut serves as a huge reminder to Richie that there’s more than just instincts between them and that anything Eddie feels is genuine. It reminds him that Eddie isn’t just with him because he’s an Omega, but because he’s wanted to be with  _ him _ for so long. Richie’s fingers struggle to find purchase on Eddie’s back with the sheen of sweat covering his flesh, and the leg curled around Eddie’s waist tightens as Eddie’s nails dig into his hip. 

“I love you,” Eddie says, voice a low pant in Richie’s ear as he pushes him into his orgasm. “So fucking much.” He presses light kisses to Richie’s shoulder, trailing them to his neck. “Don’t ever forget that.”

Richie’s chest heaves as they come down from their high and the hand on his hip soothes a thumb against the dip where it meets his leg. The other strokes up the expanse of Richie’s torso, curling around his neck where his thumb soothes slowly against his throat, and Richie’s limbs tighten around Eddie. “It’s hard to forget that when you remind me every day.”

“I’ll keep doing it. I never want you to doubt how I feel about you.” Pressing a firm kiss to Richie’s throat, Eddie shifts his hips enough to slide out of him, nuzzling his nose against Richie’s jaw.

“I think I scratched up your back again.”

Eddie presses a kiss to Richie’s jaw, stroking a hand against his sweat-dampened curls. “Yeah, we really need to fix those nails. I’ll file them down for you. Let’s get you into a shower first.”

“Nope. Not unless you’re joining me.”

“Okay, I’ll join you.”

As he helps Richie to his feet, Eddie can’t help but notice that the blanket usually tossed over the back of the sofa is missing. It quickly becomes apparent over the next week that the blanket isn’t the only thing that has gone missing in the apartment. There are blankets and pillows from his bedroom that are suddenly gone, and when he’s separating the laundry one afternoon, there are at least two sweaters that are missing and five shirts - all of which he knows were in here.

“Hey, Richie?” Eddie calls, sifting through the already folded piles on their bed to make sure he hasn’t put them in with Richie’s clothes. “Have you seen my sweater?”

“This one?” Richie asks, stumbling into the doorway.

Eddie turns, breath catching in his throat. Richie is wearing Eddie’s old Derry High Track Sweater which is  _ just  _ long enough to fit him. He wordlessly motions for Richie to join him by the bed, and Richie does, Eddie wrapping his arms around him the moment he’s there. He presses his nose to the area right where the sweater meets Richie’s flesh and rubs off on him, inhaling deeply with a pleasing growl. There’s nothing more pleasing to Eddie than when Richie smells like him. With Eddie currently distracted by their mixed scent like he wants, Richie sneakily reaches for the pile of Eddie’s clothes and grabs a shirt which he drops onto the floor, discreetly nudging it under the bed with his foot to retrieve later. Richie waits until Eddie goes to the store for something that evening to retrieve the shirt from under the bed, tossing it into his closet on a growing mess of blankets, pillows, sweaters, and shirts he’ll sort out another time. He’s already emptied the closet of his own things, partly because Eddie has suggested they just move everything of Richie’s into his room, and partly because they’ll get in the way of what he’s trying to do. 

“What the hell is he doing in there?” Stan asks when he visits one day to the sound of Richie banging around in his closet with his bedroom door shut and the sight of Eddie unable to find a shirt he knows he’s worn recently and should be in the freshly washed pile of laundry. 

“He’s giving me a damn headache with all the banging is what he’s doing,” Eddie growls, frantically searching the basket of washing in front of him. “Damn it, where the fuck is that shirt? I need that for Mike’s birthday thing.”

Stan can smell Eddie’s frustration clearly, and part of him wonders how Richie hasn’t picked up on it. “Are you missing any other things?”

“A few shirts, some hoodies, blankets, pillows, and weirdly enough that large dumb stuffed bear Richie won for me when we were like thirteen at the fair vanished. Why?”

Stan summons all of his willpower in order not to laugh at the situation. “Well… I see this at the shelter where I help out all the time. I think he’s nesting, which explains why your stuff is slowly going missing. He needs the scent and comfort. Most Omegas like to nest in a smaller space too, so they feel secure when they’re in it. There are fewer entry points for others to use. When’s his next heat?”

“In a week -  _ god fucking damn it where is it? _ ”

“Oh, he’s  _ definitely  _ nesting and has your shirt then. Come with me.” Stan places his mug down and heads for Richie’s room, raising a hand and knocking on the door. “Hey Rich, how you doin’?”

There’s a bang and a curse from inside the room. “God damn it -  _ what the fuck do you want Stan I’m busy. _ ”

“Are you okay in there?”

“I was until I headbutted the damn shelf in my closet because you startled me, asshole!”

Stan snorts, leaning against the wall and folding his arms over his chest. “Whatcha doin’ buddy? You got a nice little project goin’ on?”

There’s silence for a moment, long enough for Richie to recognise the knowing tone in Stan’s voice and the teasing edge. “Oh for the love of - unless this is important,  _ fuck off _ Stan. I told you I’m busy!”

“Are you willin’ to trade one of your nesting materials? Eddie needs that nice shirt he wears for dinners and stuff you took. He’ll give you the sweater he’s wearing for your collection in its place. It’s the nice blue one you like.”

Eddie sighs, glancing to the door. “Stan this isn’t to wo -”

Stan holds a finger to his mouth to shush Eddie and listens. He can hear Richie putting something down before crossing his room, grabbing something with indistinct muttering and then he’s heading their way. “Sweater. Quick. Take it off. He’s gonna wanna take that before he hands over the shirt to make sure you’re not tricking him.”

Eddie pulls the sweater off seconds before the door opens wide enough for Richie to stretch his arm out and make a grabby motion for the sweater. Eddie hands it over and Richie yanks it into his room long enough to verify he hasn’t been tricked before his arm reappears, the missing black button-up shirt in hand. He waits until he feels Eddie take it before his arm vanishes back into the room, door slamming shut behind it. 

“Thanks, buddy!” Stan calls, only for Richie to throw something at the door as a sign to leave him alone. “Wow, bitchy nesting hours.”

“How did you know that would work?” Eddie asks as they leave Richie to his nest building and return to the kitchen.

“You just need to know what he likes more than what he already has. You don’t work at an Omega shelter and not pick up a few things. You should ask him if he needs anything for it you don’t have in the apartment.”

“Yeah, but how did you know which article of clothing he’d trade?”

“Oh, he said he likes you in blue the most because of how it looks with your hair. Makes him think of the sky or the ocean and it relaxes him.”

Richie suddenly emerges from his room, the shelf for his closet in one hand and the rail in the other. He looks at each item warily and then towards them. “I uh… I’m not entirely sure what to do with these because I didn’t think it through.”

Eddie smiles, reaching for his mug. “Just leave them by the door. I’ll throw them out later.” Richie discards the items at the door and heads back for his room, pausing in the doorway nervously. “You need something?”

“Stan.” Richie blurts out a little too fast. “Wow - not like - I just - can you come here a second? Please?”

Stan rolls his eyes while Eddie chuckles, places his mug back down onto the table, and then follows Richie into his room. Eddie can hear them whispering since Richie leaves the door open. Still, he can’t make out just what they’re talking  _ about _ , though it becomes pretty obvious when Stan emerges in one of Richie’s old hoodies instead of the turtleneck that he’d been wearing all day, a small sheet of paper held firmly in his hand.

Eddie arches a brow, amusement clear on his face as Stan comes back, slowly zipping the hoodie up. “Should I ask?”

“He wanted my sweater for his nest. He wants something from everyone. It’s our job to now go and get clothes from Bill, Mike, Ben, Beverly and his friends from the support group. He also wants us to go to his moms and get a specific blanket.”

“Is this a normal thing, or should I be concerned?”

“It’s fine. Some Omegas like to have family scents around them, and Richie is easily distressed because of his issue so the more calming scents he has around him, the less chance there is of him having a crash. We’re like a family to him, so he wants our scents.”

Eddie places his empty mug onto the counter and grabs his keys. “Let’s go get him the stuff then.” He pauses by Richie’s room where he can see the doors to the built-in closet thrown wide open and Richie scowling at them. “What’s up, Rich?”

“They’re in my way.”

“So take them off.”

Richie opens his mouth, pauses, and then turns to face Eddie in confusion. “You don’t mind that I’m dismantling the closet like this?”

“You do whatever you need to do. We’re gonna go get the stuff you asked for. Is there anything else you need for your little project?”

Richie considers it for a moment, glancing between Eddie and the closet. “Drapes. Dark ones. And uh… some lights?”

“Any specific ones?”

Richie looks away from him and back into the closet, a red tint coming to his face. “Um… fairy lights… the colourful ones. Like… blue… green.”

Calming colours, Eddie realises, a soft smile coming to his face. “You got it, Rich. I’ll be back soon.” 

Before he can turn away, Eddie hears a quiet muttered thanks from Richie. He doesn’t bring any attention to it, stepping into the room to give him a quick kiss before leaving. By the time he returns with the box of things Richie needs, Richie has managed to get the doors off the closet, screwdriver held firmly in his mouth as he studies the space in front of him with his head tilted to one side.

“What’s on your mind?” Eddie asks, placing the box down next to the pile of his own clothes that Richie has hoarded over the last couple of weeks.

Richie jumps, the screwdriver falling from his mouth onto the floor with a clatter. “I’m just… letting my instincts lead me like Gwen said I should.”

“Can I help you with anything?”

“No I - actually yeah. I’m not sure how to put the drapes up.”

“You could nail them up, but I don’t trust you with a hammer. Why don’t you take a break and a nap or get something to eat and I’ll do it for you? Just that. You can do the rest yourself.”

“I -” Richie looks like he’s about to argue, and Eddie expects it really, but then Richie sighs and relents with a nod. “Yeah. Okay.”

Eddie’s surprised at how easily Richie is letting him take over. It’s normal for an Omega not to accept help with their nests in  _ any  _ way. It’s  _ their _ private, intimate thing to handle. He’s even more surprised when Richie actually leaves the room to let him work, vanishing into the living room. Leaving him alone like this with all his nesting materials is a huge show of trust. Eddie knows  _ Richie  _ trusts him, but Richie is running on his Omega instincts right now which makes things tricky while Richie is still getting used to them.

Richie is shaken awake a few hours later by Eddie. He’s half-awake as Eddie helps him off the sofa and leads him back into his old room to show him the end result, mainly because if Richie wants something different done with it Eddie will need to change it. Richie slowly rubs the sleep from eyes, taking in the end result of Eddie’s work. Eddie has utilised the old railing, so it acts as a rail for the drapes, something Richie hasn’t considered considering it makes it easier to get in and out of the closet space. 

Richie catches a whiff of something, sniffing at the air as he approaches the drapes where the smell seems to be strongest. “Eds did… did you scent these?”

“Both sides. I thought it would help.”

“It does. A lot.”

“Look inside.”

Curious, Richie slides one of the drapes aside and looks at the large space behind them. Just inside the door on the wall near the door frame, Eddie has attached his old shelves which have been sawn in half to make four smaller ones where he can put any of their heat items; the blocker gel and blindfold already sitting neatly on the lowest one. “How fucking deep do I sleep?”

“Very. I was surprised that you didn’t come stumbling in here to see what the noise was, but you  _ have  _ been pretty busy dismantling the closet. Not surprised you were exhausted. If there’s anything you want me to change I can.”

“No it - I like it. I didn’t even think about shelves.”

“I wanted to make it easier for you to find your things when you need them.”

“Can um - can you help me with something else?” Richie asks, slowly pulling himself back from the closet. “You don’t have to.”

“I want to,” Eddie assures him, curling his arms around Richie and pulling him back into his chest. “What else do you need help with, Rich?”

“The lights.”

“You want me to put them up for you?” Eddie asks, observing Richie who nods. “How do you want me to do them?”

Richie furrows his brow as he thinks it over before a grin comes to his face and he turns around in Eddie’s arms, wrapping his own around Eddie’s waist. “I want you to do them to be how  _ you _ want them because this is  _ our  _ space and not just mine. I want it to look and feel like it’s ours.”

“I’ll put them up for you tomorrow,” Eddie assures, leaning in to kiss Richie while sliding his hands into the sides of his shirt. “Tonight I just wanna be with you. Haven’t given you a good scenting in a while.” He watches the almost glazed look that crosses Richie’s eyes and then zeroes in on the bob of his throat as he attempts to swallow a whine but fails. “Sounds like someone missed me doing that.”

Richie’s grip tightens on him, and he draws Eddie flat against him as he dips his nose down to his neck. “ _ Please. _ ”

Eddie raises his hands to run them through Richie’s hair, sliding his wrists along his neck as he does. “We should move to our room if I’m going to do this, so you don’t fall asleep standing up.”

Richie lets out a quiet huff, nuzzling at Eddie’s neck slowly. “I can’t help that it lulls me to sleep.”

“Hey, I told you,” Eddie threads his fingers into Richie’s hair, pulling gently to tilt his head back, “it’s okay that you like it. I’d be offended if you  _ didn’t _ like it since it’s my smell.”

“Eds -”

“Bedroom, Richie.”

“Right - bedroom.” Richie takes a step back, snags Eddie’s hand, and tugs him across the hall to their room. 

He’s a little too enthusiastic, tripping over his own feet as he moves too fast, forcing Eddie to tighten his hold on Richie’s hand to stop him from falling. “Calm down, Richie. I want to scent you, not take you to a hospital because you fall and smack your head open.”

“You’re not moving fast enough.” Richie huffs, tugging Eddie into their room. “I  _ need _ you to scent me.”

Eddie kicks the door shut behind them, already reaching for the hem of Richie’s shirt to pull it off, brushing his wrists up against his sides. “Gonna scent you all over again. Make it hard for people to even breathe near you without tasting it.” He tosses Richie’s shirt onto the floor and reaches for the zipper of his pants while Richie attempts to tug his shirt up. “Yours off first. Then mine.”

“That’s not fair Ed -”

“ _ Richie _ .”

Richie groans and releases Eddie’s shirt which is bunched enough to show his stomach. He plants his face into Eddie’s neck, inhaling deeply. “Fine, I’ll wait just - hurry -  _ please. _ ”

“I’m going as fast as I can, Richie.” Eddie reasons, grabbing the waistband of Richie’s pants.

“ _ Go faster! _ ”

“If I go any faster, one of us will get hurt!”

Richie huffs and falls silent, letting Eddie work.

The seven of them can rarely find a time to be gathered in one place together, but Mike’s birthday has come with a stroke of luck. There are no heats or ruts, though Richie’s heat is pretty close, putting Eddie on edge for the night, and the seven of them can actually be together. Nights out like this usually start with a meal and then end with intense hangovers the next day from the drinks Beverly funnels down their throats at her apartment after because until now, Mike and Richie weren’t old enough for bar scenes.

“We really need to do this more,” Beverly says, picking up her utensils. “Now that we’re all finally of legal age we can actually go to a bar. It’s about damn time you caught up with the rest of us, Mike, you too Richie, though it sucks you had a heat on your birthday, and we couldn’t do anything for it.”

“That reminds me. Is going to a bar a good idea?” Bill interjects, sending a wary glance over to Richie. “Richie’s still not fully adjusted yet, right? He’s gonna be overwhelmed by all the Alpha scents in the bar, and it’ll fuck with him.”

“I’m  _ fine _ .” Richie hisses at Bill, lifting his head from Eddie’s shoulder as the waitress puts their food down. “There’s a high number of Alphas in  _ here _ , three at this table alone, and I’m doing okay.”

Eddie reaches between them under the table, curling his hand around Richie’s between their legs. “If Richie wants to try going to the bar, then he can. I trust him to know his limits.”

“Yeah, Bill.” Beverly chimes in, reaching over Richie for the salt. “You should let  _ Eddie _ take care of his Omega. You wouldn’t like it if Mike was one and we tried to tell you or Stan how to take care of him.”

“I’m just trying to help.” Bill shot.

“No. You’re interfering.”

Richie idly moves his pasta around with his fork. “Richie can speak for himself, and Richie says yes to Bev’s bar idea.”

“See, Richie  _ wants  _ to go.”

“It’s not  _ safe  _ Bev.” Bill snaps, voice rising.

“Why don’t you back the fuck off Bill?”

“Bev’s right,” Stan speaks up, shooting a glance at Bill. “You need to back off. Richie is Eddie’s responsibility, and he’s more than capable of taking care of him. You wouldn’t like it if Eddie told me how to do my job as an Alpha so don’t tell him how to do his. We don’t know Richie’s limits, wants, or needs the way Eddie does.”

“See, Stan gets it. We can’t just lock Richie away because he’s not connecting with his Omega brain properly. I’m sure that Eddie can handle it when -” Beverly’s arm bumps Richie’s as he raises it the same time she draws her own back, bringing a sudden warning growl from Richie’s other side.

Beverly drops the salt shaker to the table in surprise and six heads slowly turn to the source of the noise as Eddie clamps a hand over his mouth, a tint of red coming to his face. The silence that stretches over them is almost suffocating until Beverly starts to laugh, the noise loud and musical.

“Holy fucking  _ shit _ Eddie.” Beverly forces out between her laughs. “Reign in that Alpha brain, buddy, I  _ barely  _ grazed his arm! I can assure you the only thing I want to devour is my steak and not Richie.”

Eddie slowly lowers his hand from his mouth and clears his throat. “I am  _ so  _ fucking sorry.”

Beverly’s laughs die down into quiet giggles as she reaches for the salt shaker again. “It’s okay Eddie, really. Fuck, that’s the first time I’ve heard you growl like  _ that _ . It was surprising more than anything. I get it, heat cycle is close, blah blah. Don’t worry about it.”

Bill exhales heavily and grabs his fork. “This is exactly why I don’t think this is a good idea! Richie’s too close to a preheat and it has Eddie on edge! You really need to take him home!”

Eddie slams his knife onto the table, and Richie flinches at the loud clang. “For fuck sake Bill, just because you were our little leader growing up, it doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do now!”

“Ed-” Richie pauses at the growl that comes from Eddie. He knows it’s not directed at  _ him,  _ but that doesn’t make it less terrifying to the point he scoots closer to Beverly who places her utensils down and soothes him by twirling some of his hair around her finger.

“I’m just looking out for him!” Bill snaps, his own temper flaring. “He might be your boyfriend, but he’s also one of my longest friends, and I don’t want to put him in any danger!”

“Oh so now I’m putting him in danger because I’m letting him go out and have some fun? He’s been mostly shut away for  _ eight _ months outside of his meetings, Bill! He’s adjusted enough he can handle being around Alphas. You act like he’s  _ broken _ .” 

Beverly doesn’t miss the way Richie flinches, bumping her forehead against the side of his head. “Guys -”

Bill ignores her in favour of retorting. “And you act like there’s nothing wrong with him!”

“Bill.” Stan hisses, glancing warily to where Richie has planted his face into Beverly’s shoulder to block out the scent radiating from Eddie while she tries to soothe him - not that she really knows how to. She’s not Eddie. She doesn’t know what relaxes him.

“You’re such a fucking asshole, Bill!” Eddie snaps, slamming his hands against the table as he stands up. “Richie is perfectly capable of going to a bar if that’s what he wants! I can take care of him just fine!  _ I’m  _ his Alpha, not you!”

Beverly finally reaches out and grabs the back of Eddie’s shirt, yanking him into his seat before he can launch over the table. “Eddie! You need to stop! The angrier you get at Bill, the more distress you’re causing Richie! Bill, you need to just let it go! Richie’s not in danger! There are three Alphas here.”

Stan places his utensils down and calmly reaches for Bill, grabbing his arm. “When does the preheat start, Eddie?”

Eddie’s attention shifts from Bill to Stan and it’s like his anger has suddenly slipped away now he’s talking to someone else. “The Preheat doesn’t hit for three days.” 

Stan nods and turns his attention to Bill. “See? It’s fine. I’m sure if it gets too much or if Richie doesn’t feel safe they’ll leave. You need to let Eddie take care of Richie.” He glances to Eddie whose attention is now on Richie, soothing him the best he can. “I’m not too thrilled with it either because of how close it is, but I also know that he’ll be fine with three Alphas around him.”

The bar they visit after dinner is packed with people, and Eddie detaches himself from Richie to get drinks, leaving him with Ben and Beverly to find a booth somewhere. After wading through crowds of people, they manage to locate an empty booth in the corner that can fit all of them in it and Beverly takes out her phone to text Stan where to find them as they take seats. They’ve only been sitting down for two minutes when someone slides into the booth next to Richie, intrusively slinging an arm around his shoulders. 

“You got a really nice smell, you know that? It’s strong - intoxicating.”

Beverly, who is idly tapping a coaster against the smooth surface of the table, lazily glances to the clearly inebriated Alpha who is crowding Richie’s space. “You maybe wanna back off a little there, pal? He’s taken.”

“You wanna keep out of this? I don’t smell your scent on him bitch.”

Beverly rolls her eyes and nods her head at the bar. “If you’re not gone in the next five minutes the blonde guy over there at the bar next to the redhead is gonna shove your head through this table so hard your ancestors will feel it, and if he doesn’t, I’ll be glad to.”

The Alpha’s eyes wander to the bar, and he barks out a laugh, leaning closer to Richie. “That little guy over there is your Alpha? I bet he can’t give you what you need. An Omega like you? You need a big strong Alpha to take care of you… protect you. I mean, look at this. He left you alone with a  _ girl  _ and a Beta. That’s not a good Alpha trait. I’d never shake you off onto my friends like you’re a burden.”

Beverly’s fingers tense around the coaster, bending the flimsy material in her hand until it snaps in half. She hates the things this Alpha is saying which are causing distress to Richie’s brain. She can  _ smell _ the pain spiking in Richie, the closer the Alpha presses to him, and the more Richie tries to get away. She has no doubts that the Alpha sitting next to him can smell it too, but she knows exactly what kind of Alpha this one is. He’s the kind who sweet-talks any Omega that he can into going home with him, using his Alpha nature to get what he wants and making them fake promises. She slams the two halves of the coaster down, placing her hands to the edge of the table as she prepares to stand up and deal with the other Alpha, pausing when she sees the hand that curls around his arm. 

Eddie rips the other Alpha away from Richie who seems startled by the sudden fast movement and slides back into Beverly, his attention fixed on the clearly pissed Eddie. “Eddie -”

Eddie shoves the other Alpha to one side, standing between him and the booth. “ _ What the fuck did you do to my Omega _ ?”

Whatever Richie is about to say dies in his throat, his distress suddenly mixing with something else. Eddie has never once referred to him as  _ my Omega  _ before, and the term has sunk into him and sparked something deep inside him; something that  _ pleases  _ his own instincts. It’s a strange kind of pride that Eddie actually thinks of him as  _ his  _ Omega and not just  _ an  _ Omega like this other Alpha clearly does.

“I asked you a fucking question, asshole.” Eddie presses, only seeming to get angrier.

“I told him exactly what he needed to hear.” The Alpha takes a step towards Eddie with a growl. “He needs an Alpha like  _ me  _ who can  _ actually  _ take care of him and wouldn’t leave him alone like you did.”

Richie shoots forward from the booth, grabbing the arm of Eddie’s jacket as he prepares to throw a punch at the other Alpha. Unlike the Alpha, Richie  _ isn’t  _ an idiot and knows damn well what Eddie is capable of doing to another person despite his small size. “Eddie!”

“ _ Let go of me, _ ” Eddie growls, struggling against Richie’s grip.

Richie knows there’s only one way to  _ actually  _ get Eddie to listen to him right now; tightening his grip on Eddie’s arm and letting his instincts take over. “ _ Alpha! _ ”

The change is instant. Eddie’s attention snaps to Richie, forgetting about the other Alpha who takes the distraction to target someone else now Eddie is busy, deciding that Richie is no longer worth the effort. It definitely helps that Stan’s annoyed Alpha scent is moving towards the group - strong and suffocating.

Richie trails his hand down into the sleeve of Eddie’s jacket, curling his hand around the tips of Eddie’s fingers. “He’s not worth you getting thrown out of here or getting yourself arrested. We’re here for Mike’s birthday, remember?”

Eddie exhales heavily, slowly threading his fingers through Richie’s. “That asshole was making you uncomfortable.”

“I know, but now he’s gone, and you’re here,” Richie assures him, squeezing at his hand. “If he tries anything else, then by all means, go throw him out the nearest window you can find but not right  _ now _ .”

“You called me Alpha outside of a heat,” Eddie says as though he’s only just realised, curling his free arm around Richie.

“What? Didn’t you like it? I knew it’d make you listen.”

“No, I -” Eddie swallows and draws Richie closer to him where he presses his nose to his neck, growling at the unfamiliar scent on Richie. “I liked it actually.”

“Hey, keep that scenting above the waist. You’re in public.” Bill interrupts three drinks in hand which he places down onto the table. Eddie knows Bill wants to tell him that he said something like this would happen, but instead he settles for quick glance between them. “Are you two okay?”

“We’re fine.” Eddie pulls back from Richie and pulls his jacket off, handing it to Richie. “Wear this. I can still smell him.”

Richie is surprisingly quick to comply as he pulls the jacket on before taking a drink from Eddie, wanting to get rid of the smell of the other Alpha. “Are you sure you’re okay? You looked like you were about to rip that other guy’s throat out.”

Eddie soothes his fingers through Richie’s hair, never once breaking their eye contact. “I’m fine. Are you?” Richie is silent for a moment before slowly shaking his head. “Do you want to go home?” Richie nods, and Eddie takes the drink from him, placing it onto the table. “Then we’ll go home.”

Richie still smells distressed when they get home, and he’s shifting nervously on his feet. He’s anxious, and Eddie knows there’s only one way to soothe an anxious Omega. He slowly laces his fingers with Richie’s and pulls him through the apartment. Richie seems confused when Eddie takes him to his old room, but he suddenly understands when Eddie stops next to the drapes of his nesting closet, soothing his thumbs against Richie’s hands.

“Eddie -”

“You’ll feel better,” Eddie assures him, pecking at his nose. “It’s not just for heats, Richie. Listen to your instincts for once and go where they want you to.”

“Are you gonna join me?”

“Do you  _ want  _ me to join you?” Richie nods and Eddie pecks at his nose again. “Then, I’ll join you. I’m just gonna go get some drinks first okay? And then I’ll be right with you.”

Richie nods again and allows Eddie to separate from him. Since they’re missing out on celebrating with their friends, Eddie grabs two cans of beer and two bottles of the cider that Richie likes to drink from the fridge before heading back to the nest. He’s never actually seen the nest since Richie crafted it, and whatever he’s imagined it might look like, it wasn’t this. Unlike the last two times when he’s made a nest, Richie has really gone all out. Everything looks neat and perfectly arranged instead of a chaotic pile of blankets thrown together at the last moment.

Everything is basked in a soft blue and green glow from the lights Eddie has attached to the ceiling for him, but Eddie can still tell the different parts of the nest from each other. The clothes he’d gotten from his friends are near the closet door, almost as if they’re acting like a protective barrier, and he’s used the blanket from his parent’s house to pad the bottom of it. It’s a fluffy blanket that Maggie had made herself when Richie was younger, and when they were kids, it had served as a comfort blanket. The rest of the nest is padded with the missing blankets from around the apartment and Eddie’s missing shirts and sweaters. The pillows are pressed up against the right-hand side with another fluffy blanket behind them for extra padding, and sitting in the corner of the closet is the huge stuffed bear that was missing, wrapped in one of Eddie’s hoodies.

“Oh my god, you’ve been holding out on me all this time.” Eddie teases, locating Richie who is sitting in the middle of his padded haven with his arms crossed. “Stop scowling, you should be proud of this. You’ve made an amazing nest, Richie.”

He can practically see the tension leave Richie who lets out a soft exhale and takes one of the bottles Eddie offers him. “Thank you…”

“You should not be this cute. That’s illegal.”

“I can’t - I’m not  _ trying  _ to be,” Richie complains as he gestures wildly to his head with his free hand. “It’s my stupid Omega brain right now being like  _ hey you need to be good for your Alpha and impress him with your nest so he’ll always take good care of you. _ ”

Eddie takes a seat in front of Richie, placing the other bottle to one side with one of the cans before he reaches behind him to close the drape fully. “You don’t need to impress me, Richie. I’ll always take care of you; however you need me to.”

“I know… it’s just...” Richie brings the bottle to his mouth, sliding the edge of the cap between his teeth and pulling it off. “Stupid Omega brain.”

“What’s it telling you now?”

“It’s telling me I’m safe in here. That…” Richie tilts his head back to look at the soft greens and blues of the lights above them. “That nothing can hurt me while we’re here.”

“That’s because you are. I’d never let anything hurt you.” Eddie assures him, popping the tab of his can open. “You’re always safe with me.”

“Eds?”

“Yeah?”

“I -” Richie chokes back what sounds like a sob, but Eddie knows better than to ask about it. “I can still smell him on me… like he was trying to fucking scent me or something.”

Eddie doesn’t want to tell him that’s exactly what the other Alpha had been trying to do. That he’d been trying to lure Richie away from them. All that’s gonna do is cause a crash. He settles for extending his free hand towards Richie, placing it on his cheek and rubbing his wrist against the flesh of his jaw. He watches the flutter of Richie’s eyes, feels the way he relaxes under his touch as he takes in his scent, and he can’t help but smile at how Richie responds to him. It’s not out of some obligation to his instincts, but a raw trust that they’ve built with each other since they were kids. Eddie looks around at the haven Richie has created and takes in every inch of it. 

“Do you want to stay in here tonight?”

Richie swallows and takes a look around the nest as he sips at his drink. “Can we?”

Eddie doesn’t miss the slight emphasis Richie puts on the word ‘we’. “Yeah, Rich. We can stay here tonight. I’m gonna go grab a different blanket we can actually use though okay?”

“No need.” Richie reaches under the pillows, grabbing a folded up blanket and setting it nearby. “Got the fluffy one from the sofa.”

“Wow, you’re really prepared here.”

“Not completely. The place needs a damn tv or something.”

“Wait, hold on. I’ll be right back.” 

Eddie climbs to his feet and ducks out of the closet, leaving a confused Richie behind. Eddie returns a few minutes later with his touchscreen laptop and the power cable which he’s already plugged into the socket just outside the closet. He flips the laptop open and taps on the screen a few times, loading up their Netflix account and carefully balancing it on one of the shelves.

“It’s no tv, but it’s close enough, right?”

“Last time I tried to touch that thing you tried to kill me because it’s expensive.” Richie points out, shifting closer to the back wall of his nest.

“Last time you tried to touch this thing you didn’t need it and were doing it to piss me off.” Eddie reminds him. “What do you want to watch?”

“I’m feeling something cute and relaxing. Tangled?”

“You got it.” Eddie leans over to the laptop and searches the movie before tapping play. They make it halfway through the movie before they’re done with their drinks and end up lying down once Eddie has rearranged the shelves a little so he can put the laptop on the lowest one. Richie lies between Eddie and the wall with his head on Eddie’s chest while Eddie tosses the blanket over them and then lazily scents him anywhere he can reach Richie’s flesh. He can feel how relaxed Richie is now, and when his hand loosens its grip on Eddie’s shirt, Eddie knows he’s managed to lull him to sleep.

At least until his phone dings loudly and echoes around the closet. Richie tiredly gropes around for his pocket and pulls out his phone, unlocking it and checking the message from Beverly checking they’re okay. He quickly types out a response and hands the phone to Eddie to put on the shelf with his own. He settles back down next to Eddie who rolls onto his side to face him, reaching out to take his glasses and set them on the shelves with the rest of their things.

He draws Richie in for a kiss, keeping it as a soft, simple peck. “How do you feel now?”

“Better. Much better.” Richie admits, tucking a hand under his face. “You were right. This did help me to feel better.”

“I’m glad.” Eddie slides his hand to Richie’s face, stroking a thumb against his cheek. “I’m sorry, Rich. I shouldn’t have left you with just two people like that. I should have stayed with you to stop someone approaching you.”

“Eds, you can’t just stick to me all the time. We’d both get annoyed.”

“Not all the time, you’re right.” Eddie agrees, shifting a little closer. “But when you’re close to a preheat I shouldn’t leave your side. I should have known better. Your senses are hazing over, and anyone can see that just by looking at you. If I hadn’t come over -”

Richie leans in and cuts him off with a kiss. “Next time.” 

Eddie hums quietly and brushes his nose against Richie’s. “Next time.”

Richie leans back in, kisses him again, and there’s an out of place serious expression that comes to his face. “Eds, I want you to mark me.”

Eddie’s fingers sink into Richie’s hair where it rests against the side of his face. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to make this decision because of the bar.”

“The bar helped me make this decision. All I could think about was that even though he smelled similar, it wasn’t you. That only you make me feel this safe. I should have buckled under that other Alpha’s scent, but I didn’t. I just wanted to get away from it. I just wanted to flee and find you. It’s been almost a year since my first heat, and since we got together. If it’s not you, I don’t want them.”

Eddie suddenly rolls them over, pinning Richie and throwing a leg over his waist to straddle him. He slides a hand around the side of Richie’s neck, tracing his thumb across his throat to the other side where he presses his nail against the flesh. “There will do. So everyone can see it. So they know you’re taken. Focus on the lights.”

Richie practically groans at that and Eddie leans down, breathing in his scent as his tongue slides from his mouth to trail up Richie’s neck. It meets the area just under Richie’s jaw where his thumb rests, slowly moving it away to replace it with a firm kiss before his teeth sink into the patch of flesh. Richie’s so focused on the soft blues and greens above them that he barely feels the point where Eddie breaks the skin while his thumb soothes down to the base of Richie’s throat. Being marked, in Richie’s personal opinion, is interesting. He’s heard people say it feels like becoming whole, but that’s not how it feels to him. While it  _ does  _ feel like a merge, it feels like Eddie is implanting a  _ piece _ of himself into Richie and not all of himself, and if he is, Richie doesn’t mind in the slightest.

Eddie slowly pulls away from Richie’s neck with a quick kiss to the area, a stain of red on his lips. He strokes a thumb against Richie’s jaw slowly, soothing his attention from the lights back to him. “Your turn.” Richie slowly sits up with some help from Eddie who scoots back to give him room. “Anywhere you want.”

Richie leans in, inhales Eddie’s scent, and then pauses. “I don’t -”

“Close your eyes, deep breath. Listen to your instincts. Don’t think.”

Richie does as he’s instructed, and then he’s leaning in more until his mouth meets Eddie’s neck. He opens his mouth, scrapes his teeth against the flesh, and then he bites down, hard, just like he’s positive Eddie had done to him. He pulls away when his instincts push at him and tell him to, and Eddie raises a hand to Richie’s cheek, brushing his thumb just under his eye. There’s a look in Eddie’s eyes that Richie can’t place, something he’s never seen before, but it draws something out in his instincts. Something  _ happy  _ and  _ pleased _ . It’s like Eddie can read his emotions because he’s smiling now and he leans in to bump his nose against Richie’s.

Eddie inhales, releases a growl that sounds possessive, and then he’s shoving Richie onto his back and crawling over him. “You smell so good.” He breathes, trailing his nose against Richie’s jaw and neck. “Just wanna smell you all night.”

Richie has never been one for blindly following his instincts, but when he wakes up the next day curled into Eddie in the nest that smells mostly of him with his brain telling him not to leave, he complies, curling tightly around the still sleeping Eddie. He’s heard Emma talk about it. Newly joined mates not wanting to part for too long and wanting to just curl around each other. He buries his nose into Eddie’s hair, takes in their now mixed scent, and tightens his arms around him.

“If you grip at me any tighter then I won’t be able to breathe.” Eddie slurs, his voice thick with sleep as he shifts in Richie’s arms and rolls over to face him. “I’m not going anywhere and if I do it’s literally to the bathroom or to get food.”

Richie sinks his fingers into the back of Eddie’s shirt and presses his nose into Eddie’s chest. “This is just... what my instincts want right now. I’m listening to them for once.”

Eddie tilts his head down, pressing his mouth to the top of Richie’s head. “How’s that going for you?”

“Well… I’m in the cosiest fucking closet in existence with you so I’d say it’s going pretty well.” Richie tilts his head back, brushing his nose against Eddie’s chin. “This Omega thing isn’t so bad after all.”

“Finally accepting it?”

Richie smiles and digs his fingers into Eddie’s back. “This is who I am. A person who makes cosy closet hideaways and gets very taken care of every three months by his oddly soft as fuck Alpha.”

“Call me soft again, and I’ll show you how wrong you are.”

“Save it for my heat, menace.”

“That’s the last time you want me to be rough.”

“Fair point. Think we can handle a heat in here? I don’t want to craft another nest.”

Eddie lets out a quiet chuckle, stroking his fingers idly against Richie’s back. “Kind of the point of a permanent nest, Rich. There’s plenty of space in here. I didn’t think it was this big. How much crap do you own?”

“It was more  _ how unorganised  _ it was. I always kinda just tossed everything in here in boxes, so it looked smaller. You know if we ever have a kid one day we’re gonna have to move rooms since this is the bigger closet right?”

“You think about that stuff?”

“I know it's a possibility. I know it might happen one day. Don’t you?”

“I do, but if we ever have a kid, we are  _ not  _ raising them in an apartment Richie. But we  _ would  _ get a house with a smaller room you can turn into your nest.”

“It’s a kid Eds, how much room can it take up?”

“Look how much room you took up as a kid with your clothes and toys, and kid-friendly things.”

Richie opens his mouth, pauses, and then exhales. “Okay, you’re right. My mom would spoil them.”

“Our friends too.”

“Damn it, Beverly alone is gonna spend a fortune on them.”

The day Richie’s preheat  _ does _ start, Eddie is aware of Richie creeping around the apartment while Eddie is preparing the bottles of water they’re going to need to keep him hydrated with. Richie seems to be trying his best not to make a sound as though he’s doing something wrong while his scent wafts through the hallway into the kitchen whenever he moves from one room to another. Eddie sets one of the bottles down on the counter and heads for the hall, pausing in the doorway when he catches sight of Richie emerging from their room, dragging their blanket behind him to the other room. Almost like he can sense Eddie’s gaze on him, Richie comes to a sudden stop, and his attention slowly moves from being focused on his destination to being focused on Eddie. 

“Whatcha doin’ there, Richie?” Eddie asks, an amused smile on his face. He knows damn well Richie is adding some extra padding to the nest for his heat since they’ll be in there for five days. Stan’s already warned him it’ll happen now Richie actually has a permanent nest.

The effect of his teasing causes a red tint to come to Richie’s face before he quickly looks away and starts to move again. “Sh-shut up.”

“You know it’s  _ natural  _ right?” Eddie calls after Richie as he vanishes into the room. “There’s nothing wrong with you altering a nest for your heat!”

“I said shut up!”

Eddie rolls his eyes fondly and heads back into the kitchen to give Richie the privacy he needs for his nest alterations. It’s not long before Richie appears in the doorway while Eddie is texting Stan, hands buried into the pockets of the hoodie he’s borrowed from Eddie to keep the scent on him while he works. Eddie looks up, locking his phone and tucking it into his pocket. “You okay?”

Richie avoids looking at him, pressing his arms into his sides. “I uh… I’m done.”

“Are...” Eddie slides from the counter and slowly approaches Richie, a teasing edge to his voice as he speaks. “Are you  _ sulking  _ again? I thought you finally accepted this now?”

“I did accept it! I’m not sulking!”

“Why are you so adorable around your heat?”

“Fuck you, Eddie.”

“Pretty sure that’s what I’ll be doing the next five days.”

Richie opens his mouth, quickly closing it and shaking his head. “I don’t know how to respond to that.”

Sliding his hand into one of the hoodie pockets, Eddie seeks out Richie’s hand and threads their fingers together. “You should get settled. You’re already in preheat and that can’t be comfortable.”

“I - yeah you’re right. It’s not. Cramps, heat… the usual.”

Eddie pecks at his nose, giving Richie a nudge to the door. “Go and get yourself settled and comfortable. I’ll be there soon. Remember -”

“I know. Lose everything but the boxers because it’s less to try and pull off in the closet space.”

Richie wakes up on the first day of his heat to find that Eddie is already wide awake and sitting up in the nest, reading over the box for the blocking gel carefully. Richie doesn’t want to disturb his reading, shifting closer to Eddie enough so that he at least knows he’s awake. Eddie glances to Richie at the movement, inhaling slightly. Richie’s heat hasn’t fully hit yet judging by the scent, which means they still have some preparation time. Eddie reaches out with his free hand, stroking his fingers through the dark curls.

“What are you doing?” Richie asks, a soft purr vibrating in his throat at the attention. 

“I’m checking how to use this stuff before we have to use it.”

Richie slowly sits up, rubbing at one of his eyes to rid himself of the sleep there. “Don’t you just… put it on?”

Eddie rolls his eyes and taps the box against Richie’s nose with a smile. “No, you don’t just  _ put it on, _ Richie. You have to put it on a specific area and then give it ten minutes to soak into the skin.”

“Specific as in…?”

“As in a specific ring of muscle.”

“Likeeee?”

“I’m not gonna say it.”

Richie grins and leans forward. “I’m gonna get you to say knot one day.”

Eddie returns his grin and sets the box in his lap. “I’ll say it when you say slick like it doesn’t offend you.”

“Hey, that stuff doesn’t gush out of you like a damn water-  _ ow _ .” Richie leans further forward, wrapping an arm around his stomach. “God - fuck - stupid heat cramps.”

Eddie reaches out and brushes his thumbs against Richie’s jaw. Richie’s skin feels hot now, and there’s a noticeable red flush starting to settle in. “You’re okay. You feel anything?”

“No -” Richie pauses and then exhales heavily. “Damn it, you jinxed me.”

“Looks like we need to get you ready.” Eddie soothes, slowly tipping Richie onto his back in the nest and crawling over him. 

Richie knows he’ll never get used to how different heat sex is, from the searing pain of emptiness that only ever dulls when Eddie is buried deep inside him to the completely sated feeling that washes through him when they’re done and locked together. Eddie doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to it either. Though Richie is always kind of clingy during sex, during a heat, it’s like he’s trying to meld them both into one person, his fingers digging deep into Eddie’s shoulder blades while he begs for relief from the fog that has settled into his brain. Eddie soothes him by pressing kisses to the exposed area of Richie’s throat and trailing his wrist against Richie’s thigh to scent him, pressing his hand down firmly into his hip to keep him still. 

Even when Eddie has pushed him over the edge into a sated state, Richie remains clinging to him, refusing to let Eddie pull out even though he can’t with the knot that’s locked him into place. The blocking gel is apparently doing its job, because Richie doesn’t seem to be in pain or overloaded as Eddie buries his nose into his neck, inhaling their mixed scent with a pleasing growl. Now that Richie has been marked and smells like a mix of them, the scent is intensified during the heat, and it's the most delightful thing that’s ever hit Eddie’s instincts. Because Richie is his, and it’s by choice and not some presentation obligation.

“Holy fucking shit is this what a lull feels like?” Richie pants, tilting his head to one side, so Eddie has better access to the area. “I feel… sated. Full.”

“Yeah, that’s your lull.” Eddie soothes, kissing a path along his neck. “You don’t need to add the blindfold now.”

“I might - just for the peak.”

When his knot starts to go down, Eddie still can’t smell the heat spiking again, brushing his nose up along Richie’s jaw. Pressing his hand against Richie’s sweat covered hip once he’s able to, Eddie slowly pulls out of him and leans over the edge of the nest, reaching for the shelf and grabbing the plug. Eddie slowly and carefully pushes the plug into Richie who hisses, his feet curling against the sheets. 

“Alp -”

“Sh, it’s okay Richie.” Eddie smoothes out Richie’s curls from his face, pressing light kisses to his nose and cheeks. “It’s just so I don’t have to open you back up when your heat comes back. Need to keep you nice and open for your Alpha.”

The words register in Richie’s brain slowly, and he nods, Eddie settling next to him with his hand stroking at Richie’s hip soothingly to assure him he isn’t going anywhere. He brushes his nose against Richie’s shoulder, relaxing him with kisses wherever his nose touches until he’s managed to soothe Richie into sleep. He exhales in relief that Richie has finally hit his first  _ real _ lull even if they  _ have _ been going at it almost all day to get there. It lasts until two in the morning when the heat finally washes over Richie and spikes again. 

Richie’s fingers have barely sunk into the pillow under his head when Eddie wraps an arm around one of his legs, lifting it to hook over his waist and reaching for the plug to remove it before pushing into him. Richie balls some of the blanket under them into his fist, biting down on it to muffle the sharp cries of pleasure from the new angle. Eddie moves slowly, speed picking up the more awake he becomes and scenting the area of Richie’s hip that he can reach.

“Kn-knot -” Richie pants, his words mixing into a moan as he dangles on the edge of release. “P-please Alpha...”

Eddie groans, gripping tightly at Richie’s thigh, keeping his thrusts fast but still at a comfortable pace for the both of them. He pushes Richie through three orgasms before his heat is sated enough to let him go back into a lull, and Eddie is surprised as to how quickly his body is adapting to lulls considering he hasn’t used the gel this time. He replaces himself with the plug once again when he can remove himself, curling his arms around his purring half-awake Omega whose face is buried into one of the pillows. His fingers lazily stroke through Richie’s matted curls, careful not to tug or pull on them as he tries to untangle them.

“It feels nice to finally hit a decent lull even if they don’t last for long,” Richie mumbles tiredly against the pillow. 

Eddie smiles, focusing on a particularly rough knot in Richie’s hair to untangle it. “I bet. We didn’t even need the gel that time.”

“Yeah, we didn’t.” Richie rolls over to face Eddie, shifting closer until they’re entirely touching. He wraps his arms around Eddie, tangling their legs together and pressing his face to Eddie’s chest.

“What are you -”

Richie groans, tightening his arms around Eddie. “Just - need to be touching you. I don’t know if this is just a heat thing or like… a mate thing.”

Eddie scratches his fingers against the top of Richie’s head. “We probably shouldn’t have done the whole marking thing so close to your heat.”

Riche shakes his head, pressing more into Eddie. “I think it’s the best time to. No separation - oh for fuck sake...”

“It’s okay,” Eddie assures, rolling Richie onto his front and reaching for the gel on the shelf.

Richie lets out a quiet whine, his fingers gripping at the pillow as he shifts his legs to plant his knees onto the blanket. “Please-”

“I’m here - I’ve got you.” Eddie reaches for the plug, dipping his fingers into the groove and slowly removing it. “Just hold on.”

When day three of the heat hits, Eddie is relieved to find that Richie has managed to hit the lull day that way his body needs to which comes with relieved sobbing that his body is finally giving him a break from the constant spikes of heat. Richie being able to actually leave his nest to eat something. He sits at the kitchen table clad in one of Eddie’s larger sweaters and a pair of boxers, his legs crossed on the chair under him as he sleepily devours his way through a large plate of pancakes Eddie has made for him, glasses askew on his face.

“How are you feeling?”

Richie swallows his food, slowly looking up from his plate. He looks  _ exhausted,  _ and it tugs at Eddie’s chest. Why did he have to suffer from lulls that didn’t last long and emotions that work overtime to the point he can barely sleep in the few longer lulls he  _ can _ hit? 

“I’m… really tired…” Even Richie’s voice is quiet and strained, serving only to tug even more at Eddie’s protective instincts. 

“When you’re done eating, we can go back to the nest, and you can get some more sleep. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have woken you up.”

Richie yawns, placing his fork down and reaching for his drink. “It’s okay Eds. You’re just trying to make sure that I eat something. It’s not like I operate like normal Omegas do. You’re just doing what your instincts are telling you to while I’m like this. They don’t understand that it might not be something I need right  _ now _ .”

Eddie sighs, rising from his chair and walking around the table. He bends down to press a kiss to the top of Richie’s head and brush his nose against the matted curls. “Go back to sleep Rich. I’ll bring this in so you can eat it later and refill your drink for you, okay? Remind me to untangle these for you too.”

By the time Eddie has refilled Richie’s glass and returns to the nest with both it and the plate in hand, Richie is already teetering on the edge of sleep, curled slightly with his face pressed into the pillow Eddie has been using. Eddie smiles fondly, placing the food and drink onto the highest shelf in the closet, climbing back into the space next to him in the nest. Richie instantly seeks him out, pressing his face into Eddie’s chest with his head tucked just under his chin, inhaling the scent clinging to his shirt. Eddie curls his arm around him, twisting his fingers into the back of the sweater. It’s not long before Richie has drifted to sleep soothed by the scent radiating from Eddie.

When Eddie wakes up again, he finds Richie already awake, plowing his way through the rest of the pancakes while also trying not to drop food all over his nest, seeming more awake than he’d been earlier. Eddie reaches out, brushing a hand into the sweater against his stomach; feeling the sharp intake of breath that makes Richie’s stomach tense under Eddie’s careful touch. He relaxes a moment later when he realises it’s just Eddie, and neither of them moves beyond Richie eating and Eddie idly tracing a hand over his stomach.

“Do you need more food?”

Richie shakes his head and leans over Eddie to place the empty plate back onto the shelf before he settles back down in the nest. “I’m tired more than anything.”

Eddie trails his hand to Richie’s back, curling his arm around him. “It’s probably because you’re not hitting lulls long enough to sleep at night. You should use today to sleep while you have one that’s lasting. I’ll be right here.”

With a yawn, Richie tucks his head under Eddie’s chin. “Won’t that be boring?”

Eddie buries his nose into Richie’s matted curls, drawing him tighter against his chest. “Never.”

The next time Richie wakes up, Eddie sets to work on carefully untangling his curls, using a mixture of his fingers and Richie’s hairbrush. Richie is surprisingly still, allowing Eddie to work as he slowly and tiredly makes his way through the sandwich Eddie’s made for him. Getting two small meals into Richie’s system was better than nothing at all, and the main thing is that he isn't being stubborn about it. Omegas in heat usually were when it came to food, and, surprisingly, Richie  _ isn’t _ . He seems to be content sitting in front of Eddie while he untangles his hair, slowly making his way through his food.

“All done,” Eddie says, leaning over to the shelf to rid himself of the hairbrush. “Do you want more food? Sleep?”

“Sleep sounds so good right now, but I know that food is more important.”

“Don’t force yourself to eat.” Eddie takes the plate from Richie’s lap, placing it next to the hairbrush on the shelf. “If sleep is what you  _ need  _ right now, then that’s what you need to do. You can always eat something later if you’re hungry.”

“Shouldn’t you be like…  _ making  _ me eat or something?”

“I’d rather you not vomit all over me because you overate when you weren’t hungry enough to handle it.” Eddie leans forward, pressing light kisses to Richie’s shoulder. “I’d rather you be well-rested while you can get rest. Tomorrow will be the peak, and you might not be able to get much if any at all.”

Day four starts with Eddie jerking awake at the pained whimper from Richie as the peak of his heat hits him full force, more intense than usual since his body allowed him the lull day and he’s not too tired to focus on the peak. Eddie acts quick, helping Richie to tug off the clothes that are already starting to dampen with sweat and stick to him. He grabs the blindfold from the shelf and attaches it in place to try and dull his senses, reaching for the plug next and removing it before he tosses it to one side of the nest. At the same time, Richie squirms uncomfortably under him at the empty feeling that’s now taking over him.

“It’s okay. I’m gonna make it stop.” Eddie assures, settling between Richie’s legs and slowly pushing into him. “Always gonna take care of you.”

Richie smells so intoxicating during the peak of his heat that it’s almost suffocating to Eddie. All he can smell around him is Richie, and it's so strong that he can taste it. It’s a smell he’ll never get used to, and it drives him to his purest of basic instincts, thrusts fast and sharp with his hand gripping Richie’s leg tightly while he muffles growls into Richie’s shoulder. He slams completely into Richie who lets out a cry of ‘fuck’ as he’s pushed into an orgasm and his head slams into the pillow against the wall, Eddie buried inside of him. Richie curls his arms under Eddie’s own and presses his hands against Eddie’s shoulder blades as he slowly comes down from the high. Eddie carefully lowers himself to lie on Richie, resting his arms against the blanket and his head on Richie’s shoulder, angled to press his nose against his neck while he lazily scents him. 

“Are you okay?”

Richie doesn’t respond for a moment, and it worries Eddie. “I think you might have just given me a slight concussion.”

Eddie presses a kiss to the base of Richie’s neck. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Just...” Richie hisses, pressing his nails into Eddie’s back sharply. “Fuck. Remind me to like… pad that area of the wall for the next heat. I didn’t think you were going to ram my head into it.”

Being locked with someone for thirty minutes is a weird feeling for them even now, but on the plus side, it’s easing Richie’s peak. He doesn’t look or sound like his heat is causing him any pain like usual, his fingers flexing against Eddie’s back every few seconds. Because that’s what the peak wants, to be fully sated and locked with Eddie, so he feels full, and the moment the knot goes down, the peak is going to return at full force. Richie’s hands slowly trail across Eddie back, his arms curling around him while Eddie listens to the soft purring that vibrates softly through Richie’s chest and soothes him.

“You’re doing it again.” Eddie closes his eyes, listening to the vibrations. “The purring.”

Richie groans, the noise mixing with the vibration of his purr. “Yeah, I don’t know how to  _ not  _ do that, so we’re stuck with it.”

“Good. I like it. If you’re purring, then it means I’m doing something right.”

There’s something in Eddie’s tone that sparks off an odd alertness in Richie’s brain that he didn’t think was possible during a heat. It feels almost… protective. “Is that... really something you still worry about?”

Eddie sighs, brushing his nose against Richie’s neck softly. “Constantly. You require different care to most Omegas, especially around your heat cycles. I worry about messing up trying to give you that care.”

“Eddie… you constantly check I’m okay and what I need and you came to help me with that Alpha in the bar. You helped me with parts of this nest, from the shelves to the lights, to the materials, and when I felt like something was missing, you improvised with something to help me. If none of that tells you how good you are at this, nothing will.”

Eddie smiles, tilting his head to press a kiss at the area where Richie’s neck meets his shoulder. He can already smell the spike of the peak coming back, and he rolls his hips, drawing a moan from Richie as his head pushes back into the pillow. Pressing his arms firmly into the base of the nest either side of Richie, Eddie pushes himself up, giving himself better leverage to move, pressing kisses to any area of Richie’s neck he can reach.

“W-wait, hold on.” Richie nudges at Eddie’s shoulder, bringing him to a stop.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing - I - just - sit up. Please?” 

Eddie complies, slowly pulling himself from inside Richie and sitting back despite the confusion of his request. Richie sits up and climbs into Eddie’s lap with some help since he can’t see with the blindfold on and lowers himself back onto Eddie, gripping at his shoulders as he does. Eddie curls his hands against Richie’s hips, keeping him steady as he adjusts to the new position; soothing his thumbs against the heated flesh. It’s not often Richie wants to try something new, and he can never seem to just say it outright.

“You could have just told me that this was what you wanted to do,” Eddie says, brushing his nose against the shell of Richie’s ear as he grinds up into him. “You should know by now that I’m not gonna judge you.”

Richie doesn’t respond, the heat having already settled back into his brain. He pushes at Eddie’s shoulders until he’s on his back, hands trailing down and pressing against his chest as his hips roll. Eddie keeps his hands firmly planted on Richie’s hips, allowing him to take control. Richie moves at an almost erratic pace, ultimately succumbing to the peak of his heat until he pushes himself into his orgasm; sinking onto the knot and locking himself with Eddie again. It’s just as overwhelming as any other time, and Richie’s arms shake, slowly sliding from under him until he’s lying on top of Eddie, panting heavily and burying his face into his neck.

“Still a lot to handle?” Eddie asks, stroking his hand up from Richie’s hip to his back. “You could have stopped.”

“I know but… I kind of like it.” Richie nuzzles his face against the sweaty flesh of Eddie’s neck. “I feel so sated.”

Eddie wraps his arms around Richie’s waist and slowly sits up with Richie perched in his lap, reaching for the bowl of fruit on one of the shelves and bringing it closer. He snags an orange segment from the bowl and lifts it to Richie’s mouth. “You sated enough to eat?” Richie slowly opens his mouth and allows Eddie to slide the segment into his mouth, dropping his head to Eddie’s shoulder while he chews. “That’s my boy.”

Richie feels his instincts fluff inside, and the soft purring is back again at the praise while Eddie removes the blindfold. Eddie sets the blindfold to one side and picks up an apple segment which he brings to Richie’s mouth, soothing a hand against his back as he slides it into his mouth. It’s oddly easy to feed Richie while they’re locked together, and Eddie doesn’t know why he hasn’t tried it before now. Richie is completely sated from the peak of heat, and as long as they’re locked together like this Richie is pliant, eating anything that Eddie holds up to his mouth. 

When Richie stops responding to the pieces of fruit, Eddie grabs one of the bottles of water and uncaps it, holding it out for Richie to take. He’s surprised at just  _ how  _ pliant Richie is when he grabs the bottle in both hands to drink. Omegas aren’t known for being  _ this  _ pliant in heat, but Eddie’s glad Richie is because it means that he can keep Richie fed and hydrated without any issues.

“Done?” Eddie asks when Richie lowers the bottle from his mouth, his face flushed red. He nods, handing the bottle back over to Eddie who caps it.

Eddie is aware as to why Richie’s face is flushed again when he shifts in Eddie’s lap like he’s uncomfortable. The peak of his heat is spiking again, unable to be sated for long, so Eddie drops the bottle into the nest and pushes Richie onto his back, instantly starting to roll his hips the second his back meets the blanket. 

Richie starts to grip and claw at him, his legs winding tightly around Eddie’s waist. “Fuck - Alpha - need -”

“I know.” Eddie purrs, running his wrist along Richie’s hip and side. “Gonna make it go away. I promise.”

Eddie wakes during the night to see Richie leaning over him, balanced carefully as he tries not to disturb his sleeping Alpha who needs to sleep even more than he does, one hand reaching for one of the water bottles. He suddenly freezes, his entire body tense and his head slowly turning towards Eddie like he’s able to feel that he’s awake, and Eddie can already see the distress that’s settling into his eyes.

“No. No.” Eddie shoots up into a sitting position, almost knocking Richie over in the process. He grabs Richie’s arm, sees the panic set in, and pulls him into a kiss. “You didn’t wake me up. It’s okay. Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter.”

Richie swallows, taking in a few calming breaths. “I - I fucking hate these instincts sometimes. They just went crazy when I realised I needed a drink. Like,  _ don’t wake your Alpha. He’ll be mad at you because he’s finally getting some rest since your heat is zapping the life out of him. Oh look, you woke your Alpha, and he’s mad. _ ”

“Richie… it’s okay to wake me up if you need something. I’d never be mad at you for that, but you didn’t. My instincts are on high alert during your heat because of how you suffer with them, and I’m constantly waking up to check on you.” Eddie assures him, reaching for the bottle which he hands over to him. “Next time we’ll keep one on your side of the nest, so your instincts don’t freak out, okay?”

Richie nods, slowly taking the bottle from him and unscrewing the cap. “Right - yeah - good idea. Probably should have done that from the start.”

“You’re right. We should have.” When Richie caps the bottle and goes to hand it over, Eddie shakes his head and pushes the bottle back towards Richie’s chest gently. “Keep that one where you can reach it.”

Eddie is the first to wake on the comedown day of Richie’s heat, finding Richie curled into his front with the bottle of water tucked between them in his arms, cradled against his chest. He remembers very clearly the way Richie responded to him the night before ,and he hates it - hates that Richie struggles with his Omega brain so much that he can only focus on one thing at a time when it comes to his base instincts. He strokes some of the dark curls from Richie’s face and leans in to kiss him, brushing his nose against the shell of his ear.

“That feels nice,” Richie mutters tiredly.

“I figured you could do with some more reassuring after last night.”

Richie exhales softly, tangling his legs with Eddie’s while Eddie runs a wrist against his chest to scent him. “I still don’t know why I reacted to you like that.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” Eddie keeps his voice low and soft while he raises his hand and strokes the tips of his fingers against the back of his ear. “It’s just because you can only focus on one thing at a time. Your basic instincts are too strong in heat. The normal logical side of your brain can’t push through it. You shouldn’t worry about it.”

“You know I’m gonna.”

Eddie sighs, nuzzling the shell of Richie’s ear. “I know you are, but you shouldn’t. All you’ll do is hit a crash.”

“I can only try Eds. My instincts hate me.”

“That’s all I ask. Do you think that you can handle being alone for a bit while I make us some breakfast?”

Richie nods and slowly detaches himself from Eddie. Unlike with the lull day, Eddie has made sure to go all out after the peak and a whole day of them barely eating; preparing french toast, eggs, bacon, hash browns, and sausages. The almost crash from the night before seems to be far from Richie’s mind as he eats, practically shovelling the food down his throat. Eddie knows that part of it is because his brain isn’t plagued with his Omega instincts right now, and the other part is because Richie feels safe here in his nest surrounded by blankets and soft lights.

“How are you feeling now?” Eddie asks, placing his knife and fork down as he watches Richie warily.

“Better,” Richie mutters around his fork, leaning back in the nest as he finishes his breakfast. “My brain is still a bit foggy, though.”

“I’m glad that you’re feeling better.” Eddie reaches over, grabbing the empty plate from Richie’s lap. “Okay, now that you’re fed you need to get some more sleep since you didn’t get much last night in case any heat remnants kick in while I clean up.”

“Ed -”

“ _ Richie _ . You need to rest. I’ll be right back. Listen to your tired body once in a while.” Eddie presses, grabbing the empty plate from Richie’s lap.

Richie groans, dropping onto his back. “Fine.”

Eddie leaves only long enough to dump everything in the dishwasher before he’s crawling back into the nest next to a half-awake Richie who instantly seeks his scent out and curls into him and falls entirely to sleep. With how exhausted  _ he _ feels, Eddie can’t imagine how it is for Richie whose brain just never seems to give him a break. He focuses on the soft sounds of Richie’s breathing, soothing a hand into the back of his shirt. 

If they’re lucky, and Eddie hopes they are for Richie’s sake, the exhaustion from the peak of his heat and not sleeping much last night will let him sleep for most of the day without the dregs of his heat bothering him. Fortunately, Richie seems to be okay for now, sleeping soundly with no disturbances from his heat, and Eddie notices he’s tucked one of the bottles of water at the edge of the nest in case he needs it again. Eddie can smell the heat remnants, but they don’t bother his instincts like the actual heat does. 

The day after the heat, Eddie wakes to find himself alone in the nest, but he can hear the sound of the shower running echoing through the apartment beyond the dark drapes. It’s weird to be the second one of them to wake up. Eddie is usually awake an hour or two before Richie stirs, something that seems to switch during a heat cycle which he’s pretty sure is down to the heat making it hard for Richie to get sleep at night. The sound of running water suddenly stops, and Eddie hears Richie stumble into the room a minute later, and then he’s crawling the closet dressed in sweats with a towel draped around his shoulders.

“Okay, these after heat showers are about to become my new favourite thing in the world,” Richie states as he carefully climbs over Eddie and drops into the empty space in the nest next to him, toweling his hair dry. “I have never felt so much relief for my aching body before… heat sex not included.”

Eddie sits up slowly, leaning forward and pressing a firm kiss to Richie’s bare shoulder that draws a purr from him. “You’re supposed to let me take care of you during a heat cycle, Richie, not go stumbling around when you’re aching all over after a few days of constant sex and barely sleeping or eating.”

Richie sighs, leaning back into Eddie who curls an arm around his waist. “I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to wake you up. You needed the rest more than I did and I felt too gross and sweaty to wait for you to wake up.”

Eddie rests his chin against Richie’s shoulder with a soft hum. “How do you feel now?”

“I feel a little tired, but I’m fine.”

Eddie presses another kiss to Richie’s shoulder, sitting upright. “Do you want me to brush your hair for you again?”

“With how relaxing it was last time? You fucking bet.”

Eddie reaches for the brush on the shelf and one of Richie’s hair ties, settling behind him and setting to work untangling Richie’s curls. Just like when Eddie had done this during his heat, Richie is surprisingly still the whole time he works, allowing Eddie to work in peace, removing the knots and tangles from the curls and then gathering up his hair into one hand. “So is this just a thing that you like?”

“It’s really relaxing when someone’s playing with my hair. Why else would I let Bev practice hairstyling on me all the time?”

“How did I not know that you liked this before now?” Eddie carefully loops the tie around the hair that’s bunched in his hand. For Richie’s hair not to dry in a tangled mess all over the place, Richie usually ties his damp hair up in a bun, and it’s something Eddie has perfected helping him with over the years whenever Richie was too tired to tie it up himself. “I feel like I should have.”

Richie shrugs as Eddie loops the tie again. “It never really came up before, and it’s not something you just randomly blurt out.”

Eddie places the hairbrush to one side with a laugh, looping the tie around Richie’s hair one final time. “Well, at least I know another way to relax you now whenever you’re getting too stressed out… which happens  _ way  _ too much for the record.” He pets at Richie’s shoulder and scoots back. “Okay, you’re all done.”

“Whatever would I do without you, Eds?”

Eddie nudges Richie gently with a knee and leans in to press his nose against Richie’s shoulder. “I don’t plan on making you find out what you’d - did you use my body wash?”

“I ran out of mine. Didn’t think you’d mind.”

Eddie bites back the growl that’s trying to escape, stuffing it down into a low vibration in his throat, inhaling deeply and running his nose along Richie’s shoulder, drawing him back into his chest. “You should do that more often. You smell so much like me right now. It’s the strongest I’ve ever smelled part of myself on you.”

“Hey, keep that Alpha hormone in check I  _ just  _ got out of a heat, and I’m all achy and stuff,” Richie complains, batting at him playfully.

Eddie chuckles, stroking a hand up Richie’s stomach. “I am keeping it in check. I just like how you smell right now. That my smell is all over you.”

Richie tilts his head back to rest it against Eddie’s shoulder. “I like it too. It’s… really comforting to my instincts.” 

There’s still so much to work through, Richie knows that more than Eddie does, but for now, for the first time since he’s started to accept who he actually is, he’s content.


End file.
